Tour de COhio
June 21st - Augusta (Klondike Park), MO to Pere Marquette S.P., IL
Day 17 - June 21st, 2005
Holy shit, am I ever long-winded! (see last entry)
Anyway, today we finished the Katy and ate and drank at St. Charles, MO in a nice little microbrewery called the Trailhead Brewing Company. Very nice – good food – good pale ale. Then we proceeded to the downtown area (very tourist-y – old French colonial type architecture – brick main street, etc....) for a bike shop. Big Goot needed a new tire and got inserts as well. We then proceeded to the Golden Eagle Ferry. Two bucks apiece to cross the mighty Mississippi River to Illinois where we drank another ale or two at Kinder's Restaurant and Cocktail Lounge, where the sign says "On and sometimes in the Mississippi". The barmaid had very nice legs :-).
Anyway, we then battled some of the biggest hills yet, or at least the steepest, to another ferry (the Brussels Free Ferry) to cross the Illinois River – which I'm ashamed to admit that I forgot existed. What a marvelous experience to cross two major rivers in one day on bikes by ferry – wow!
So now we're camping at Pere Marquette State Park on Illinois Route 100. We will be laying over one day (the first layover) even though the weather is fine – Big Goot, especially, requested a layover day (but it will do us all some good). I plan to hike around tomorrow in the hills of southern Illinois to look over the vistas of the river valleys – should be really cool – I need more film! Goot said the lodge has good food and drink, but Bo and I ate Dinty Moore Beef Stew – yum? – and (drank) Keystone Ice – oh well – layover tomorrow – might as well put one on!! Lizards run rampant – small, 3" or so – brown – short tails – quick.
DG
Klondike Park, MO B–5 campsite.
Klondike Park map.
End of the Katy Trail – Lunch at the Trailhead Brewery, St. Charles, MO.
Dave G and Gary at Trailhead Brewery.
The dudes at the Trailhead Brewery.
Dave P and Dave G at the Trailhead Brewery.
Gary on the Golden Eagle Ferry, crossing the Mississippi River.
Golden Eagle Ferry – crossing the Mississippi River.
Gary and Dave G on the Golden Eagle ferry to Golden Eagle, IL.
Dave P and Dave G on the Golden Eagle ferry to Golden Eagle, IL.
Belle of Calhoun (Brussels Free Ferries) – Crossing the Illinois River.
Dave G and Gary on the Brussels Free Ferry – crossing the Illinois River.